This week: How do you handle critiques of the romance genre…

Thanks to Victoria Barbour for this week’s tough questions, and if you arrived here via Rhenna Morgan you’ve read her awesome answers.

Have you always written Romance?  I read many genres, but only write romance. Developing the deep emotion bond between hero and heroine while weaving in their sexual journey is satisfying to me as a writer. With life’s every day conflicts it’s nice to believe there’s a happily ever after.

How do you deal with critiques about the romance genre?

I assume this question is about those who put down the genre as a whole for whatever reason. There is good and poor writing within all genres. What’s interesting to me is that stories depicting murder and graphic violence are widely accepted. Yet, describing lovers during their most intimate moments is considered smut or deviant. The logic fails me.

What’s the one thing about our genre you’d like people to know? The HEA (Happily Ever After) genre contains so many sub-genres you’re bound to find one or more you’ll enjoy reading. If you like stories set in current day, try contemporary, inspirational, suspense, or paranormal. Historical includes, regency, ancient as well as inspirational, suspense and sometimes paranormal. Then there’s erotic and erotica and yes there is a difference. In the last several years I’ve seen sci fi emerge and as a trekkie, I’m excited about this newer category in romance.

Escape the day to day with romance! Hope you’ll swing by my tweet and blog buddy, Susan Peterson Wisnewski to see what she has to share.

This week: How a writer’s life influences characters…

Thanks to Kate Robbins for this week’s questions, and if you arrived here via my Lyrical sister, Gemma Brocato and author of Hearts in Harmony, thanks for continuing the hop.

How much of yourself do you write into your characters? Or do you write characters completely opposite to you? My heroines have some of my faults and attributes, plus characteristics I wish I could claim. In some ways, writing is a way to live a dual life.

Has your writing helped you see events in your own life clearer? I actually believe my introspective nature led me to write. Writing is enjoyable but can also be a purging; a means of controlling a world when mine sometimes feels out of control.

Have you written a character with more of your personal characteristics than any other? What are they? Not with intent, but my character Jo is close to me in a lot of ways. She’s socially insecure, but wears a hard edge to cover. She’s no nonsense and commands undying loyalty. Both of us have been sorely disappointed in that area. I wrote her with thoughts as to what I might have achieved if I’d ventured from my suburban world.

Please see what the amazingly witty Kim Handysides has to share.